The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemumxc3x97morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name xe2x80x98Coral Yonashvillexe2x80x99.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Fort Myers, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of a proprietary induced mutation that originated by exposing unrooted cuttings of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Yonashville, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,795, to X-ray radiation in October, 1997 in Fort Myers, Fla. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of the irradiated selection in April, 1998 in Fort Myers, Fla. The selection of this plant was based on its uniform plant growth habit, good vigor, desirable inflorescence form and floret colors, fast response time, and good postproduction longevity.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Fort Myers, Fla. in July, 1998. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The cultivar Coral Yonashville has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength, and/or light level, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of xe2x80x98Coral Yonashvillexe2x80x99. These characteristics in combination distinguish xe2x80x98Coral Yonashvillexe2x80x99 as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum:
1. Uniform, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.
3. Dark green foliage.
4. Uniform flowering response.
5. Typically grown as a spray-type.
6. Early flowering, eight-week response time.
7. Freely flowering habit.
8. Daisy-type inflorescences that are about 7.1 cm in diameter.
9. Coral pink-colored ray florets and bright yellow disc florets.
10. Good postproduction longevity with plants maintaining good substance and color for about three or four weeks in an interior environment.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Yonashville. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Yonashville in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are slightly less vigorous than plants of the cultivar Yonashville.
2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are coral pink in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Yonashville are dark lavender pink in color.
Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Regal Yonashville, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 09/774,362. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the cultivar Regal Yonashville in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower slightly earlier than plants of the cultivar Regal Yonashville.
2. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are coral pink in color whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar Regal Yonashville are purple in color.